What it takes to be a Moderator

=-=-=-What it takes to be a Moderator-=-=-=​

Ultimate Moderator Application Guide, By Krissy
If you are not familiar with my previous work, I created a guide to try and influence your applications to make them informative and more professional, and to inspire you to add your own twist on the format.

Now this thread is designed to prepare you, and inform you on what being a moderator is about so you can decide if you really want to apply. Moderating takes work. If you apply for the power you will not get anywhere.

=-=-=-What being a "good" mod looks like-=-=-=​

I think it is important to see what people are looking for in a mod. The following is from Akrill , a former Super Moderator.
Here's what's needed for me to say; this guy is a good Moderator.
Are you active on the server and help out, accordingly to the server's demands? You're a good Mod.
Are you able to dedicate a good amount of time to the server? You're a good Mod.
Are you putting aside you're feelings to try to make the right calls at any point given? You're a good Mod.
Are you taking your Moderator duties seriously? You're a good Mod.
Are you responsible and admit that you've done something wrong? You're a good Mod.

Now, each of these can be broken down into a more explained text.

1. This means, are you on when no other staff members are on? Can you provide with help to the public, answering questions, logging griefs etc? (Of course, this doesn't mean that if you're on when other staff members are, it makes you a bad Mod).
2. This doesn't mean logging on for 10 minutes a day, kicking a person and then leaving. Either this be because you're bored and don't really have the motivation to Moderate, or if you don't have enough time.
It doesn't matter what the reason is, if you can't be active, I don't see you fit as a Moderator.
3. This means, you don't make decisions based on how you feel about a situation. Whether it is feeling pitty for a victim, or being furious with a grief WHEN there is no evidence to support either.
You may, of course, help out from your own personal stash. But I saw some taking from the 'official' refunding to help someone out, when there's no proof supporting a person's story. This is a big no-no in my book.
4. Is this a game, or is this something you dedicate your time to. Minecraft is a game, but being a Moderator isn't.
If you understand this, you have a thumbs up from me.
5. Do you do mistakes, but instead of hiding it away and pretending it didn't happen, man up and say it was you?
Everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone take the blame for it (does not apply to lies, in order to cover up for someone else).

Just a little bit of reading, I will keep the rest brief, however if you are interested in being a moderator, I suggest learning to read large blocks of text and accepting it.

=-=-=-Moderator Duties-=-=-=​

I bolded point 4 above as I feel this is a misunderstood concept but a very important one. Minecraft is a game and servers are run by people for others to have fun. But just because it is a game, does not mean that moderating should be taken lightly. Moderators have very serious responsibilities that need to be taken with a great deal of maturity. Just because moderators volunteer their time and do not get paid in a sense, does not mean you can slack off. Our volunteer firefighters, imagine if they were to slack off because they didn't get paid, or decided to only stick around 5 minutes into a job then leave. It isn't good enough.
My example is fairly extreme, the server will not collapse if you slack off, however, you are not doing any favours by applying if you will just be a dead weight on the team and not contributing.

I will list the duties of a moderator from the perspective of a tmod, your rank you will be if you are accepted.

• Server based:
  • Chat moderating: making sure people are following chat rules (no swearing, spamming, advertising, fighting, being rude and offensive, using all caps, inappropriate content and conversations and nick abuse). Of course there are more difficult situations and you will be required you use your judgement and the commands you are given should not be abused.
  • LogBlock: Part of being a mod is knowing how to read logblock logs. This is the anti-griefing tool of the server. If someone scammed, looted, bridged or griefed you are required to use this to attempt to piece together what happened and punish players if needed
  • Answering questions: self explanatory.
  • Enforcing server rules: punishments vary of course but making sure people are following the rules is important.
  • Breaking bridges: this is usually not as important but breaking bridges can help stop future griefs and is a tedious task, but needs to be done.
• Forums based:
  • Deleting and archiving spambot posts/banning spambots
  • Looking through the forums to make sure peoples posts are in the right sections
  • deleting/editing offensive posts
  • locking and archiving old threads
  • Handling reports players have made
  • Handling ban appeals
  • Responding and archiving help threads
  • applying warning points to people that break forum rules
  • Generally making sure the forum are clean and sections are kept tidy.

Being a moderator requires you to sometimes be involved in fairly high profile and complicated situations. You will be thrown into problems that are not the norm. You will have to think outside the box, and really go above and beyond the basic duties. You need to have good problem solving skills, you will need to have good negotiation skills. You will need to be mature. If you understand all this, and still wish to apply, good on you.

=-=-=-Final words-=-=-=​

While this work is mainly opinion upon what I have discovered being a moderator for a while now, I do believe that in order to succeed as a moderator you will also need a degree of activity, dedication an toughness. I know there are a few people out there who have what it takes, and a lot of you, I feel, can really improve, mature and be ready for this position.
To all who are applying, I wish you luck.

​

 

You are one of the mods that I looked up to and thought "well he's a great mod I want to be just like that".

 

Truth is I probably am not all of the above just yet. I know I have flaws. I'm do not think by any means that I am amazing. But thanks

 

I know you had faults, and of course I wasn't going to completely emulate what you did, but I more wished to be like you because of what you stood for and how you handled things well If anything I liked the way you moderated somethings and its that which influenced me
And I don't think you are a horrible person at all. You may call things as they are but I never once thought "man, that akrill guys horrible"

 

think its about time for a bump. Let me know if I need to add things in. If you have anything to share I might add it in.

 

~bump

 

Most of the new players that apply do not have very good apps. They do not take the time to embrace the community and do not know much at all. But with the right attitude and and a good application, and continued dedication any one can get there.

Don't let being new deter you. You can apply when ever you like but if you apply being new, like I did, remember that you will have to prove yourself doubly hard.

 

Artie got a job, gemma's reason I wont say, source, had school. lets not mention that people who have been around for a while had disappear equally as fast: skyttles, noveh, ign, yellow.
There is no correlation between resignations and how long you have been a member. It is a personal choice to apply and to play. If life gets in the way, so be it.
I applied when I got forum active which was late december 2013. I never used the forums until the day I applied for mod.